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As during 1912 a very large proportion of the work has
been followed up, i.e., endeavouring to obtain treatment for
cases found, as a result of inspection to require it, but in spite
of all efforts the percentage treated still remains about the
same, that is, roughly fifty per cent. This is due mainly to
the following causes:—
(i) Poverty of the parents, combined with
(ii) Want of facilities for getting certain classes of treatment,
and
(iii) The age period at which leavers are examined (i.e., from
13 to .14), which means that they are often examined
within a few weeks of leaving school so that within
a very short time they pass out of our control altogether,
and one finds as a matter of experience that,
particularly in the case of eye defects, as soon as the
child leaves school the parents are apt to let the
matter slide altogether.
There are a certain number of cases which give considerable
trouble in that they get no treatment as they say that
they cannot afford either to pay for a doctor or to go to a
hospital, and some of these, if referred to the Invalid Children's
Aid Association, are returned as unlielpable, and they
will not go to the Poor Law, and at the same time the defects
for which treatment is required are of such a character that
there would not be much chance of obtaining a conviction
under the Children Act, with the result that these conditions
go on indefinitely.
Owing to the form in which the Chief Medical Officer of
the Board of Education has asked for the statistics to be made
out the majority of the tables are put together as an appendix.
A.—" General review of the hygienic conditions prevalent in
the Schools of the Local Education Authority in respect
of such matters as surroundings, ventilation, lighting,
warming, equipment, and sanitation, including observations
on the type and condition of sanitary conveniences
and lavatories, water supply for washing and drinking
purposes, the cleanliness of schoolrooms and cloakrooms,
arrangements for drying children's cloaks and
boots, and the relation of the general arrangements of
the School to the health of the children."
Owing to the inefficient lighting at Haydon's Road Girls'
and Infants' School I drew up a specification specifying,
amongst other things, a minimum light on each desk of 3.5
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